Just as the railroad had a major impact on the town’s development, the completion of Interstate 70 in 1966 had a big impact on the physical development of Victoria. For over 30 years, U.S. Highway 40 was the main east/west route through Kansas, which brought travelers right through downtown Victoria. With the interstate connecting on the north end, development began to move that direction. Today, Victoria is a thriving and close-knit community that is a typical Kansas small town with a handful of downtown businesses, nice parks, quiet residential areas and an outstanding public education system. Because many of the residents are descendants of Catholic Germans from Russia, much of the community life centers around St. Fidelis Church, the main focal point of the community. The elementary school is within easy walking distance for many of the school children and the high school is just down the street. The variety of school events, sports and activities for the kids and families make Victoria a great place to raise a family.

Victoria was founded as an English colony by George Grant, a successful silk merchant and Scottish nobleman. In the early 1870’s, his search for a large countryside estate in England that would be suitable for retirement did not prove to be a successful endeavor. He came to America in 1872 to explore the vast open plains and found what he was looking for in the great fertile prairies of Kansas. Grant envisioned the development of this region into a profitable agricultural and livestock producing area. He purchased an estimated 70,000 acres from the Union Pacific Railroad in Oct 1872. This was land that was mostly south of the current day community of Victoria. When he returned to England, he carried out his plan of selling large tracts of the land to men of wealth that he knew in England.George organized these British and Scottish noblemen in preparations for the journey to America. On April 1, 1973, a delegation of 38, including men, women and children left the harbor of GlasgowEngland and traveled by ship to New Orleans, up the Mississippi River to St. Louis and by train to the land he had purchased in Kansas. They arrived on May 17th and soon began to build their new homes and form a town he named Victoria, in honor of Queen Victoria of England. The original town site was generally in an area south of today’s railroad tracks and east of Main Street.

The town grew slowly over the next few years, but two severe winters, prairie fires, drought in the summers and other hardships caused despair among the colonists and some returned home to England. After the death of George Grant in April 1878, many more moved away, gave up on the farming or returned back to England.

In 1876, Germans who were immigrating to Kansas from the VolgaRiver region of Russia, began to settle in EllisCounty. On April 8, 1876 a group from Herzog Russia settled north and west of the town of Victoria on the east bank of VictoriaCreek. Another group of Germans from Russia arrived on August 3rd. These Germans were accustomed to the hard work associated with farming and even though they had many hardships with the rough winters, drought and poor crops the first several years, their community continued to grow. More Volga German immigrants settled in Herzog and it became the largest and most important German-Russian colony in EllisCounty. Eventually the new settlement of Herzog and the colony of Victoria grew together as one town but they kept the English name of the first settlement and in 1913, the German-Russian village was officially named Victoria.

Originally a successful silk merchant, Grant came to America in 1872 in search of a place to build a country estate on which to retire. What he discovered was a new vision to turn the country into a major agricultural and livestock producing area. In the fall of 1872, Grant purchased an estimated 70,000 acres from the Kansas Pacific Railroad and then returned to England to organize a colony of British and Scotch noblemen. The group left England on April 1, 1873, with the necessary provisions, including several head of black polled Aberdeen Angus bulls, a red shorthorn bull, thirty sheep and some horses. Upon their return to the area, Grant named the new settlement after Queen Victoria and he and his companions began construction of homes and town buildings.

Grant was the leader of the new colony and had specific stipulations as to what types of homes were to be built, livestock to invest in and the crops they should cultivate. The four black Angus bulls that were brought on the journey became the breeding stock to cross with native Texas longhorns. This produced calves that survived well on the winter range and weighed more the next spring.

Grant’s hope for his country estate wasn’t forgotten in all of this.He had an English architect design his Villa which he built five miles south and one and one-half mile east of Victoria. The two story home was constructed of native limestone that was quarried near the site and it was built atop a hill overlooking Big Creek. The home featured a large double door front entry way, open staircase, a study and wine cellar in the basement. The Villa became the center of social activities for the English colonists and was a comfortable residence for the Grant family during George’s final years.

George became ill and died at the Villa on April 28, 1878. Margaret Grant, Grant’s niece and housekeeper inherited the house and some of the estate. In October 1878, she married John Duncan, a farm hand. They had two sons, John and George and a daughter Margaret. Early in the spring of 1897, with the land under foreclosure, Mr. and Mrs. Moritz Baier purchased it from the Duncans. They lived at the home until their retirement in 1935 and then their son, William and his family lived at the Villa until 1972. Paul Baier, the son of William, resided at the home with his family for over 35 years until they moved to Hays.

The Villa was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Although there have been some updates made in the home, the original structure made of native limestone is still intact.Black Angus cattle even still roam the pasture land around the Villa. In the October of 2011, Susan (Baier) Legleiter and her husband Ron purchased the property from Paul and Lucy Baier. They purchased 40+ acres, which includes the house and farmstead with additional acres adjoining. Since acquiring the property, they have totally renovated the home and property. The structure of the home is original as it was built with native limestone.

Visitors are welcome to drive through the loop road past the house or contact Ron Legleiter for a pre-arranged guided tour. It is their hope to preserve the memory of George Grant and his contributions to the agricultural life of Western Kansas.

St. Fidelis is the largest of the historic churches in EllisCounty and is known as the “Cathedral of the Plains”.It was built in 1908-1911 of native limestone. This majestic church is built in the shape of a cross 220’ long and 110’ wide at the transepts, or lateral arms. The twin bell towers are 141’ tall and can be seen from miles around. The church was dedicated on August 27, 1911, and has a seating capacity of 1100. At the time it was built, it was the largest church west of the Mississippi River. William Jennings Bryon nicknamed this church the "Cathedral of the Plains" in 1912. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors are welcome. Free self guided tours 8am-8 pm. Guided tours available by appointment. It is an active parish with weekend masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

The FirstChurch

Upon settling in Herzog, the Volga Germans erected a tall wooden cross in the heart of the village, where they gathered on Sunday to recite the Rosary, litanies and sing hymns. For them, life was incomplete without a church or a priest. Every so often a priest would come from Salina to minister to them and occasionally said mass in a home. It is estimated the first mass was held in April 1876. A few months later the first church measuring 40 x 24 feet was built by attaching it to a parish member’s home.

The SecondChurch

The first church could only accommodate half of the church members, so the next year a second church was started.Made of stone and measured 60 x 30 x 16 feet. The Honorable Walter C. Maxwell, a Catholic Englishman of the Victoria colony, who received a generous contribution from the Duke of Norfolk in England, collected funds. The settlers, financially poor, contributed their part by quarrying and hauling the stone. This church was completed in 1878 and dedicated to the Mother of Sorrows.

Capuchins Arrival

The same year, 1878, EllisCounty received capuchins from Pennsylvania, thanks to an invitation by Bishop Louis Fink. The first resident pastor to care for the neighboring settlements was Fr. Matthew Hau, O.F.M. Capuchin and his assistant was Fr. Anastasius Mueller, O.F.M. Capuchin. Later that year, Fr. Hyacinth Epp, Superior to the Capuchins visited the area and saw the need for a larger church and immediately chose another site. At his request, the Kansas Pacific Railway Company donated ten acres to be used for religious purposes.

The ThirdChurch

Fr. Anthony Schuermann, O.F.M. Capuchin, pastor and a skillful builder drew the plans for the 3rd church. He also supervised the construction between 1880 and 1884. This church measured 168 x 46 x 35 feet and had a seating capacity of 600. Upon completion, the name was changed to St. Fidelis, in honor of a martyred priest of the Capuchin order.

The PresentChurch

Once again the parishioners found themselves in need of a larger church around the turn of the century. This time, under the guidance of their pastor, Fr. Jerome Mueller, O.F.M. Capuchin, it was decided to build a spacious and artistic church that would be a worthy house of God for present and future ages. Built between 1908 and 1911, the church was constructed of native stone, quarried seven miles south of Victoria. Hand augers with holes 8-10 inches apart perforated large layers of rock, 8 inches thick. Once the rocks were separated they were loaded and hauled by wagons to the building site and then dressed 15 different ways by local masons.

Without power tools, this was a gigantic task as each stone weighed 50 to 100 pounds. It is estimated the settlers hauled and dressed more than 125,000 cubic feet of native limestone. The Bedford stone that was imported from Indiana cost $7,000 to trim and dress.It was used for the doorways, bases and capitals of the pillars. Other notable features of the church are the 18 granite pillars from Vermont that cost $4,000, and the capitals above each of the pillars that took a month each to make and fit the 4 different sizes of pillars. The altar and pulpits were cut and hand polished in Italy with the main altar being erected in 1986 at a cost of $41,000 for the parish 75th jubilee. The top of the altar is one solid piece of stone, decorated with five crosses and was dedicated May 25th of that same year. This Romanesque structure stands in the form of a cross, facing west, and can be seen for miles in all directions. The “Cathedral” measures 220 feet long x 110 feet wide at the transepts x 75 feet at the nave (the main body of the church). The ceiling is 44 feet above the ground with the twin towers rising 141 feet.

The plans for the present church were completed as early as December, 1905, by John T. Comes, of Pittsburgh, PA. In 1908, these plans were revised and modified by Joseph Marshall, of Topeka. Building operations began in November 1908 and the cornerstone was laid October 4, 1909, by Rt. Rev. J. F. Cunningham. It took nearly three years to build, but the structure was completed in 1911. The seating capacity of 1,100 made it the largest church west of the Mississippi River at the time it was dedicated on August 27, 1911.

The church was named "Cathedral of the Plains" by William Jennings Bryan when he visited during his presidential campaign on July 19, 1912. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was honored as “One of the 8 Wonders of Kansas” on January 29, 2008. The parish celebrated its centennial from 2008 to 2011, marking the 100-year anniversary of four major milestones in the building of the church which included the groundbreaking, laying of the cornerstone, first ringing of the bells and the dedication.

To meet the spiritual needs of the German speaking immigrants from Russia who arrived in this area in the late 1870’s, the Catholic Diocese established the Capuchins in EllisCounty to serve as priests for the new communities. The St. Fidelis Friary, located in what then was still named the town of Herzog (later the two towns became one and named Victoria) was established by Father Mathew Hau, O.F.M Cap and Father Anastasius Mueller O.F.M. Cap. The Capuchin monastery was built nine yeas prior to when the present church was built. For several years this location was the central station from which friars cared for a seven county area. The statue on display in front of St. Fidelis Church was sculpted by Hays artist Pete Felten, and was dedicated on July 28, 1976.It is a lifelike statue that stands 6’ tall, is made of Silverdale limestone and has a bronze plaque that pays tribute to the followers of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Iron crosses

St. Fidelis Cemetery

1600 Cathedral Ave

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2777

Hours: Sunrise to sunset

As you drive south of Interstate 70 towards Victoria on Kansas highway 255, you will notice something unusual looking on the east side of the road about a ¼ mile north of town. There are 110 iron cross grave markers that stand out among the traditional stone monuments in the St. Fidelis Cemetery. Because wood was available and less expensive then granite or marble, the first burial markers for the Volga German pioneers were simple wooden crosses. However, with the strong Kansas winds, storms and problems with the wood rotting, some of the local Volga German blacksmiths began to craft wrought iron crosses.

These iron cross grave markers proved to be more durable, and by using scrap metals in their shop, the men could make these crosses rather inexpensively. Often times the blacksmiths would not even charge anything to create the iron crosses if the customers could supply the metal and material. The blacksmiths would work on the crosses during the winter months when their normal business was slow and the heat from the forge was more tolerable while working in their cold shops. John Knoll and Alex Graft were two of the more well known iron cross makers from Victoria.Although the techniques used by the blacksmiths varied from community to community in EllisCounty, many of the crosses were made of twin steel pipes bent and joined to form the main structure of the cross and rounded off with U-shaped joints. Metal lattice work was created and welded between the pipes. The coils were made from a soft rod clamped into a vise and turned to fit a particular pattern. The decorative inserts were twisted rods or thin flat metal and the hearts were cut from tin and welded in place. Some of the more common motifs are rayed circles, sun bursts, and halos with a ray burst pattern. To the careful observer, the differences between the crosses or parts of the crosses that were made by cast iron and those done by the wrought iron method is also something to look for.You can also find different styles of iron cross grave markers in the cemeteries of Walker, Catharine, Munjor, Pfeifer, Schoenchen, Ellis, Hays and Antonino. Many of the iron crosses in the Victoria cemetery have been repainted wrought iron black color, while grounds keepers at many of the other EllisCounty cemeteries have used a bright shiny aluminum color when they have needed to be repainted.

Volga German Immigrant Statue

10th & Cathedral Ave

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2259

Hours – Sunrise to sunset

Admission – Free

Across the street from St. Fidelis Church is a life size statue depicting German Immigrants from Russia. This piece was sculpted by Hays artist Pete Felten in 1976 and is titled “Volga German Family”. It is made of Silverdale Limestone that was shipped from Arkansas City, Kansas. The commemoration of the statue was held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Volga Germans arriving in EllisCounty. Pete Felten reviewed numerous old photographs to create a piece of art that represented the strength and solidarity of these immigrants. The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia National Headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska were so impressed with the statue, they commissioned Felten to create an exact replica which now stands outside their front entrance to welcome visitors to their facility.

VictoriaSchool

The complete and highly efficient educational system now enjoyed by the children of Victoria sprang from a very humble beginning. School district No. 7, the Herzog district, was organized probably as early as 1877, but was without a school building. The first public school in the colony was the home of Alois Dreiling, where a Mr. Rowe taught. Mr. Peter Linnenberger, who had studied in the seminary at Saratov, taught private school, first in the home of John Sander, and later in Alois Dreiling's home.

August 29,1879, Sisters Agatha and Aurea of the Congregation of St. Agnes, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, came to Herzog and opened a parochial school. The church built by Hon. W. C. Maxwell served the double purpose of church and school, a movable partition dividing off the sanctuary. Because the church had no pews yet, the school benches were removed each Friday and stacked up outside by the children. On Monday morning they brought them back in to use again for school that week. For a time the Sisters dwelt in Alois Dreiling's home. Later they moved to an annex which had been built to the church in 1878.

In 1888, Rev. Anselm Bayerau, O.M. Cap., built a new school (at present, the Sister's convent), which measured 66x30x23 feet, and contained four large class rooms. At the same time a Sister's house was erected (now the residence of John Schmidtberger). These two new buildings satisfied the needs of the growing community for about ten years. The present school, a commodious, substantial structure, was erected by Rev. Gabriel Spaeth, O.M. Cap., in 1897 and 1898.VictoriaSchool District 432 Website

EnglishCemetery

100 Angus Drive

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2259

Hours: Sunrise to sunset

Admission: Free

This location on the southeast edge of town became the final resting place for 18 Scottish and British pioneers who were some of the original members of the community of Victoria. They were part of the group of colonists organized by George Grant in 1873 to establish farms, build homes, cultivate the land and stock the plains with quality Angus cattle. Many of the colonist were “Remittance Men”, who received monthly allowances from back home in England or Scotland. They were not accustomed to hard physical work and were not too interested in the manual labor of building homes, cultivating the soil and farming. Their main interests were sports, recreation, cricket and they also organized a hunting club. They found the pioneer life too extreme, and shortly after the death of George Grant in 1878, many of these noblemen returned back home to England. By the early 1880’s only a few remained and the dream by George Grant of great English settlement in America had vanished.

George Grant was the founder and leader of the English colony of Victoria and he brought the first Angus cattle to America in 1873. He was born in Scotland in 1822 and died at his home south of Victoria on April 28, 1878. He received world-wide recognition as a successful silk merchant in LondonEngland and gained considerable wealth in other well timed transactions in textiles. Near his grave is a monument that commemorates the arrival of the first Aberdeen Angus cattle to America on May 17, 1873. The Aberdeen Angus Breeders Association held a rededication ceremony on May 17, 1973, and added the replica of the Angus bull capping the monument.Improvements were made to this park in the summer of 2008 with trees planted, a lighted paved sidewalk and benches added. On September 27, 2008, the American Angus Association held a ceremony that unveiled the monument restoration which also commemorated the 135th Anniversary of Angus cattle arriving in the U.S. and the 125th year of the American Angus Association serving the beef industry.

Historical Landmark

Highway 40 & Ball Park Road

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2259

Hours: Sunrise to sunset

Admission: Free

This historical marker is dedicated to the two groups of settlers that were the early pioneers of Victoria. In 1873 there were the well-to-do gentleman farmers from England who established the town of Victoria. They did not have the endurance or interest in the farming way of life and many eventually moved back home to England.In 1876, Germans from Russia arrived and built dugouts and sod houses north of the English colony. They proved to have the hardworking spirit needed to be successful on the harsh Kansas prairie. The English brought with them the first Aberdeen Angus cattle and bob-tailed ponies and the Volga Germans brought with them hard winter wheat and their strong religious faith.

In the late 1980’s, the Union Pacific Railroad Company phased out many of their cabooses on their trains and the community of Victoria was selected to receive one. Tony Weigel, a Victoria native who worked for UP in Kansas City, began the process of having Union Pacific donate one of their cabooses instead of just letting it rust away in one of their yards. In late 1989, UP sent the caboose to Victoria along with all the paint numbers and new decals so city employees could restore it back to it’s original bright yellow color. The paint scheme for Union Pacific is still one of the oldest original paint combinations used by a major railroad. Armour yellow is the main paint color with red lines, white, black and harbor mist gray used on other parts of the caboose. On Wednesday March 21, 1990, the caboose found a new home in the VictoriaCityPark. A lot of people came out to watch the move and see how they set it up in the park. Hubert Sanders was the mayor at the time and had the moving company weld the wheels to the short length of track to prevent any accidental movement.The city workers painted and restored the caboose and have kept it looking great for all these years.

Union Pacific Gravesite

3rd Street & Hwy 40Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2259Hours: Sunrise to sunsetAdmission: Free

This is the gravesite of six railroad workers killed by Cheyenne Indians on August 1, 1867. The workers had detached themselves from the main work camp and were unarmed when surprised by Indians. Historians disagree on the exact location where the attacks occurred outside of Victoria, but a little known fact is that there were actually 7 workers attacked and killed on that day. One worker survived long enough to make his way to the FortHays military post, but later died of his wounds and was buried at the Fort. The known graves at the fort have since been relocated. The other six workers were buried at this gravesite just outside of Victoria. A ceremony was held on June 5, 2003 to replace a headstone that had turned up missing from this UnionPacificCemetery. A mysterious headstone had somehow ended up in EllsworthCounty, and with the research done by several local historians, they were able to determine the origination of the headstone and bring the marker back to its resting place in the UnionPacificCemetery at Victoria.

HoneyBraunPark

603 Iron

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2259

Hours: Sunrise to sunset

Admission: Free

This 10 acre park was established in 1949 when Wendelin J. Braun and his wife Loretta donated the land to the City of Victoria with the stipulation that it would always be used as a park. It was named the HoneyBraunPark honor of W. J. “Honey” Braun who was the mayor of Victoria from 1971 to 1975. W. J. Braun was very involved in the community and he served two terms on the Ellis County Commission. He was a self employed businessman involved with cattle, farming and oil interest as well as former owner of the VictoriaHotel, the Blue Goose Café, the GayTheater and Rose Ball Room.

In 2002, the City of Victoria received a grant for a complete park renovation. The grant money, along with a match from the city, was used to make several improvements to the park, including the addition of a modern new shelter house that is lighted, has three electrical outlets and picnic table facilities that can accommodate 80 to 90 people. The playground equipment has 2 separate age appropriate play areas, 6 slides, climbing and agility features, recycled tire mulch under the play areas, connecting sidewalks and is beautifully landscaped.The park also has horseshoe pits and with the natural sloping terrain towards the middle of the park, it creates a scenic amphitheater setting created by Mother Nature. This park is used for the concerts held in August each year during the annual Herzog Fest, which is a celebration of the German heritage community of Herzog.

The 255 Convenience Store is located just south of Interstate-70 at the Victoria exit on the west side of Highway 255. This location features three services for the traveling public – a clean and friendly convenience store, fueling station and diner. The convenience store offers all the quick stop features to grab a snack, soda, energy drink or traveling supplies. Hunt Brothers Pizzas are made daily for breakfast and lunch and made to order to dine in or to go. The fueling station features Cennex brand fuels and diesel. The diner serves lunch and dinner from 11 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday. The menu includes daily lunch specials, salads, burgers, country fried steak, pulled pork, shrimp and fish, Phillies, livers, gizzards and chicken wings. The atmosphere is unique and has a special quaint small town feel. It’s a great place to stop to fill your car, fill your tummy and take some snacks along for the trip to explore our community.

The diner serves everything from burgers and reuben sandwiches to country-fried steaks and livers and

gizzards. Alcohol is served, along with lunch and dinner, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Gambino's Pizza has been part of the Victoria community for over 20 years. We first opened in 1991 at a location on West Main Street that used to be a small bar and grill. In 2003 and under new management we moved to our current location on East Main Street.Gambino’s is popular because we have fresh made to order food and are part of a franchise system with over 50 locations in 5 states. We provide local residents the convenience of dine in, carry out and delivery. The Victoria Gambino's Pizza is also part of the group of restaurants under the same ownership in Hays, LaCrosse and Hoisington. We offer pizza, pasta, calzones, salad bar and sandwiches and feature an all you can eat lunch buffet every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We are large enough to accommodate buses, school groups, sports teams and have group seating available.

The Library is the place in Victoria to get some great tasting fresh hamburgers, weekly specials and a variety of other menu items hot off the grill. For many years during the 1940’s and 50’s, Victoria residents would come to this red brick building on 3rd street to see the doctor and have their prescriptions filled at the drug store. The office of Dr. Anderson was located here and a soda fountain and drug store was operated by his brother Leon.Over the years, there were other businesses including a pizza place and a bar. Ilona Patterson and her husband Ted bought the building in 1983, made a few improvements and turned it into a restaurant that now provides Victoria with a unique bar & grill atmosphere. Lunch and dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday with menu items in the $5 to $10 range including salads, egg rolls, seafood, steak sandwiches, gizzards, mini tacos and their famous hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Customers enjoy grabbing a book or magazine off the shelf and reading while waiting for their meal. It has free Wi/fi hookup and is a local hang out for all ages. Stop in for a soda, snack, a hearty meal or an ice cold beer. Visitors to the Cathedral of the Plains are welcome to stop by The Library and find out more about our community and other places to visit while in Victoria. Handicap accessible, non smoking, seating capacity – 54, separate partitioned group seating for 26.

Total Convenience

106 W. Main

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2821

COMMERCE & BUSINESSES

Victoria Food and Variety Store

1104 3rd Street

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2929

Hours: Monday – Saturday 8am-7pm, Sunday 11am-5pm

A clean and modern small town grocery store where you will be greeted with a “smile and hello” and with friendly service, high quality foods and great prices. The store has such a range of products, that it serves not only as a grocery store, but as a variety and general retail store as well. The grocery departments include produce, bakery, dairy, health & beauty, canned goods, deli sandwiches, meat department, frozen goods and non-perishable items. In the meat department, one of their specialties are their homemade brats ranging from traditional, garlic, bold & zesty to variety of jalapeno stuffed brats. By adding the retail variety products such as small appliances, hardware, linens, small electronics, toys and beauty products, it gives residents another option to buy locally. Some of the special services are senior discounts on Mondays, carry out and delivery service. Stop in and grab some deli sandwiches, pop and chips to go.

This is a family owned and operated slaughter and meat processing facility that has been providing quality service and meat products since 1998. In 2005, they added the retail area to sell the variety of ready to eat products they make like beef jerky, snack sticks, summer sausages and smoked cheeses. The frozen meat selection includes cuts of beef, chicken and pork as well as products made at the store – brats, breakfast sausage, liver sausage and bacon. They also carry seasonings and spices, hash brown patties, breaded onion rings, breaded zucchini, breaded cheese sticks, breaded green beans and breaded pickle spears. Smoky Hill Meat Processing also has contacts with local farmers who sell 1/4, ½ and whole beef or ½ and whole hogs to fill your freezer with some great tasting locally owned fresh meat. Smoky Hill Meat Processing can also process your deer or other wild game. Stop in for your choice of brats to grill or other cuts for your cooking needs. Custom orders are also welcome. *do not accept debit or credit cards.

St. Fidelis Church Gift Shop

601 10th Street

Victoria, KS67671

785-735-2777

Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30am-12Pm, Friday 8:30am-12pm, 1pm-4:30pm,

The gift shop for St. Fidelis is located in the parish office building across the street to the north of the church.Various religious items and St. Fidelis souvenirs are for sale including: calendars, musical CDs, T-shirts, prayer books, the church centennial DVD and cookbooks. “Sharing Our Best Cookbook,” is a collection of more than 1,300 recipes of Volga-German, Russian, German, and other ethnic recipes, German prayers and helpful hints. The book is in its 5th printing with over 12,000 copies already sold. The parish office is handicapped accessible with public restrooms available. More information about the church and its history can be found on our website at www.StFidelisChurch.com.

Owned and operated by the Jim Scheck family since February 2006, this unique small town store features not only the building products and hardware you would typically find at a lumber company, but because they are the only place in town to purchase many household, lawn, garden and other supply items, they stock an assorted inventory to help local residents find what they need. After the previous owner, Everett Braun, died of cancer, Jim and his son Jared took over the store and it became a true family operation with help from Jim’s wife and another son Justin helping out as well.

Victoria Lumber Company carries a full line of building products, lumber, plywood, OSB, shingles, metal for buildings and roofs, hardware, Dewalt tools, full line of plumbing materials, pipe, fixtures, faucets, drain fittings, lawn and garden tools and products, cabinets, doors, electrical wire and accessories, Martin Senor paints and painting supplies. Check out our old fashioned Coca Cola pop machine where it’s still only 45 cents for a can of soda. There is always free fresh popcorn popping everyday, and visitors are welcome to stop by, browse around, ask for directions or find out what is going on in the community.

This unique business is located in a historic dairy barn that operated as the town’s dairy for many years. The owners reside next door in a beautiful limestone house built in 1903 that is of the Queen Anne style of architecture. At Historic Lightworks, they have the largest antique lighting selection in the state with over 2000 antique light fixtures and over 3500 original shades. Visitors will see light fixtures from pre-electric gas fixtures from the 1880’s to 1900’s and early electric lighting from the 1900’s to 1940’s. Learn about lighting and fixtures from a simple barn light or lamp, to lights that came out of the State Capital in Topeka. They sell, repair, rewire, and refinish antique light fixtures; gas & electric fixtures from the 1880’s to the 1940’s. Customers can select the lights they want, the height, metal finish, and the shades for their particular project – or they can bring in ones they already have that need to be restored. Some of the variety of lights include: ceiling lights, chandeliers, wall scones, barn lights, desk lamps, floor lamps and other antiques and architectural items. To arrange a visit or see our large inventory, please call 785-735-4453.

Memorial Day in Victoria is a community celebration at the St. Fidelis Church fundraiser! The morning begins with visits to the 5 local cemeteries--Emmeram, Walker, Pfeifer, Vincent & Victoria--followed by an 11 am Mass at St. Fidelis Church. After Mass, the festivities begin with a German wedding style dinner served until 2 pm. The Country Store features homemade baked items and a gift shop includes crafts and handmade items by the parishioners. Throughout the day are free kid's games, musical entertainment, a beer garden, hamburger and braut stand, a drawing with BIG CASH prizes and an auction of 200-300 new items donated by businesses and parishioners. Proceeds are used to maintain the church, which was named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. Email - fidelis@ruraltel.net

Herzogfest - August

Honey Braun Park -Victoria -785-735-4851 – www.herzogfest.com -Celebrate the German heritage of this Volga German community with polka music, concerts, parade, talent show, free swimming, food booths, kids pedal pull and fireworks show.Event features free entertainment on Friday and Saturday night with national recording artists and local bands. Saturday includes a 5K Run/Walk, parade, traditional German Welcome & Toast, horseshoe tournament, bingo, pinochle, beer and food booths, polka music, German singers, talent show and fireworks. Food booths include fried noodles and beans, cream dumplings, brauts, beirocks, German sausage, galushkies, kuchen, green bean dumpling soup and much more. Saturday afternoon Polka Mass at 4 pm is a traditional Catholic service with polka music and German singers. FREE - All are invited to attend. Email – marome@ruraltel.net

An annual fall celebration that brings VictoriaHigh School alumni and friends back to town during a weekend in September or October. A bonfire, parade, high school football game, golf tournament, pep rally and barbecue, memorial Mass and banquet are held. Awards are given to recognize alumni achievements.